I am playing a new D&D 5e game with an experienced GM. It is a two-shot with 8th level characters. He initially allowed each player to choose an Uncommon magic item.
When I chose the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, which make the character's Strength score 19, he revised his position to exclude any items that modified ability scores, with the reasoning being that those items were designed to "fix" or compensate for characters with low rolls at the time of creation.
Obviously he has every right to make this ruling (I am not disputing that). However, I am curious if there is some basis for the decision in either rules or in the history of the item across editions.
What is the origin of this item and similar ability score improving items? Were they created as part of an earlier edition or rule set? How have they changed over time?
Best Answer
Original gauntlets gave +2 damage and 'ogre strength'
Ogre's did more damage in that game than a normal fighting man, doing 1d6+2 (Monsters and Treasure, p. 8) rather than the standard 1d6 damage.
The strength increase came in AD&D 1e.
In AD&D 1e, the gauntlets began to provide a boost to strength. This was significant - in that edition, increasing one's stats/abilities scores without a magic item or a wish was generally not possible. There were no ability score boosts as one leveled up. (A notable exception being the 1e UA Cavalier who could eventually increase some scores as time and 2d10 rolls added up).
When having a Strength of 16 was a big deal (+1 Hit, +1 Damage), getting 18(00) offered +3 Hit +6 damage - a substantial boost to combat power. The ogre itself in 1e got bonuses of that were different from the gloves, however.
3rd edition changed that to a flat strength bonus of +2
The 3rd edition (WoTC's first edition) added a flat +2 strength bonus.
D&D 4e: no ability score boost
In 4th edition, there were two variants of the gauntlets - one for 5th/lower level characters and one for 17th/higher level characters (levels in 4th edition went up to 30). At tribality.com, in the article "The Problem of Ogre Power", the author points out that
The following was kindly provided by @MirrorImage.
D&D 5e: attuned wearer has, literally, Ogre Strength
5th edition literally aligns the gauntlets with the strength of an ogre. From the Monster Stat Block, an ogre has a Strength of 19 (+4 hit, +4 Damage).
You could say that the D&D 5e gauntlets have come full circle from the original idea in Monsters and Treasure, in that the item now marries up the in-game strength of an ogre, literally, with the strength that the gauntlets grant to the attuned wearer.
In the original game, the best strength you could have without magical help was 18 (by rolling for ability scores) or 18(00) (if the Greyhawk rules were used), whereas now ASI's allow a character to increase their strength score to 20 by level 8. This makes the gauntlets very valuable for a lower level character, or for any character that has not maximized their potential strength score for any number of reasons.
How I used them in a D&D 5e one-shot
I made a monk with a strength of 8 (and the athletics skill proficiency)(level 10, 1-shot) and with the two uncommon items allowed took the ogre gaunts and the ring of jumping. I was able to jump great distances and grapple effectively. My unarmed strikes were magical attacks.
I dubbed this concept 'The Boing Boing monk' and had a great time with it. I have since done something similar with a few other monks in one-shots. (In one case using a belt of Frost Giant Strength).
FWIW
Early in D&D, the linkage between the Norse deity Thor's belt and gloves, and the incredible strength needed to wield his hammer Mjolnir, got 'gamified' to require gauntlets of ogre strength and a belt of giant strength to get the most out of the Hammer of Thunderbolts. (Per a comment request from @nick012000)